Mr Turtle
by Aliusvita
Summary: At 8 Faith is saved by Mr. Turtle. Forced to move away she returns 8 years later to fulfill her promise to see him again, only to find not one, but four!Now the foot are back, her brother is taken, her sensei is a rat and the pizza guy kicks ass!
1. Chapter 1

"Look alive, Faith!"

A split second to determine the call came from the left and slightly forward, 10 O'clock. A half second to see that a baseball was now barreling towards her face, time slowed. One second before its dart like path connected with her completely exposed cheek; her hand flew up to catch the faded ball before impact. Less than a thought had flitted through her mind from the time she heard the shout until the action had completed. Three years of baseball was not wasted, and her face was grateful.

Faith smirked as she mockingly waved the ball side to side for him to see, "Don't worry bro, maybe a few more years and you'll be half as good as me!" she said. A bark-like laugh echoed in Code's throat as he lifted the folder cardboard box up and waved it in a mirrored motion to her ball. "Maybe a few more years and you'll be able to pack a box properly," he taunted as he headed to the side of the building where the dumpster hid in the alley.

He tossed the useless box into what Faith could only guess was a pile of unkempt junk before heading towards her where she perched in the trunk of the truck. He sat heavily, and pulled a rag from his jeans pocket, dragging it across his sweat soaked face. "It's my turn to sit on my ass," he said. Faith laughed as he fell back and lay down. She picked up a box labeled 'books' in her brother's calligraphic handwriting and started towards the building.

"And clean up the shit from that box!" she heard him say.

"It broke when you had it!"

"Don't be lazy!"

"Jerk!" Faith said, she heard some kind of retort come from his direction but couldn't make it out. She was already taking the rusting metal stairs two at a time up to the fourth floor. The creaks from each of her steps were disheartening, especially when she made it to the third and could see the ground so far below her. She made a face to herself and pressed on to the fourth floor, panting by the time she made it to the ledge.

'Elevator needed,' she thought, setting the box on the ground and leaning her back against the window at the hall end a few steps from the stairs. The glass was warm from the setting sun, and she felt gross and sticky covered in her own sweat. It was almost enough to make her wish that they hadn't moved from Tennessee. Almost. Overall the elated feeling of moving had carried her on wings through the whole process of moving back to her hometown. Her crazy, dangerous, thrilling, terrifying, alive Manhattan. The dull days they'd spent in Tennessee had been passed listlessly. Southern gentlemen and belle's were all well and good for those who knew know different, but her first eight years had been spent in a place that never slept, and that sleepy little town could never take its place.

The only excitement she had had was on the baseball team, which she had had to fight to be on. The boys had stared skeptically her first day, and it had been a long road to impress them, but eventually they had become a team and she sighed happily remembering her friends fondly. The girls she hadn't been fond of, as most had aspirations as high as to win a prize for their pie recipe. She couldn't imagine the mundane life they would live as housewives, and while she had found a few kindred female souls, she had kept closer to her boys. The one female jock in the school, and she grinned to herself at the thought.

A siren blared and the lights flashed in her view as the car passed the window four stories below her. She could just make out Code lying in the bed of the truck and picked up the box, heaving it to the end of the hall. Her friends had called her crazy, what kind of girl wants to live somewhere as dangerous as Manhattan when they were already in a town that didn't lock their doors. She'd made vague excuses, a promise between siblings; they had to go help out family, etc.

The truth she wasn't willing to explain to them, it had gotten her picked on and teased the first day in her new school there, and a call for her mother to come talk with the principle. After being scolded over and over she had finally given up trying to tell anyone the truth, they never listened anyway. Code being the exception, he listened, and even promised to bring her back when he turned eighteen so she could search. This worked out since their mother had left the country once more for business and had approved the move while she was distracted preparing for her flight, which she almost missed.

She traveled more than she stayed, her job as CEO of an establish hotel chain having her travel to many locations around the world. She technically didn't have to, but the control freak in her drove her to travel and inspect. This meant Code had taken over being mom when theirs decided to skip out. Only two years older in body, Code was 20 years older mentally. His I.Q. was 110, but instead of learning how to become a rocket scientist at age 13, he chose to stay with her and go through school normally. She smiled as she carried his books through the latched door and set it on the stack of his other book boxes. He had three, and there were three more in his bedroom. Her big brother was like her mother more so than her real one, and she was completely satisfied with this. He was all she really needed.

She found the contents of the broken box in the doorframe of her room. She sighed and started to pick up her desk accessories, pens, pencils and all sorts of knickknacks that decorated the tabletop and wall space around it. She heard splashing as she started arranging her desk with the things that she had scooped up from the pile on the floor. She looked over at baby turtle swimming in his temporary bowl and making a fuss. "I'll build your house soon, Shell, promise," she said.

He didn't seem to believe her and continued to throw his tantrum. Faith laughed at her baby boy, who was just as temperamental as his mother had been. His mother, who Faith had gotten when Princess was as tiny as Shell was, had recently passed away, and Shell was still not used to being completely alone. Faith had taken to bringing him along when she went out, along with a plastic folding bowl and a bottle of water for when they had rest time.

People often stared at her awkwardly, which was easy enough to understand, it wasn't exactly normal to see a girl with a turtle on her shoulder. For Faith it wasn't given a second thought, her affinity for turtles locked deep within her psyche. Since she was eight years old turtles had been her favorite animal, and green her favorite color by no small coincidence. It happened so long ago, before even her brother was her brother, and he was just the quiet best friend who lived next door. Before her mom became CEO, and left the country and her alone with the nanny, and she only had Code and her imagination to keep her happy, she had a fascination with rain. With storms and thunder and the dampened world after the downpours had ceased. She had a dire need to go and play in the puddles that glistened with moonlight, her eight year old mind only wrapped around the fact that it was something she wanted to do.

And one night she did.


	2. Chapter 2

She knew she'd get in trouble if her mom heard her, so she peeked through the crack in the bedroom door and waited until she was sure her mother was asleep before returning to her room and locking the door. She opened her window and climbed onto the fire escape, set there by a flawed design plan, walking slowly down the metal steps and cringing each time they creaked.

The rain had stopped, and the world glistened with drops and puddles all around her. She became thrilled with the way the water rocketed away from her as she jumped in the pools of water left in the streets pot holes, laughed as she played hide and seek with the street lamps. She laughed and smiled and skipped and laughed again as she slipped and rolled in the deserted street. As she stood, a light mist began to fall, and that's when she noticed the ugly man staring from the alley. He walked to her slowly, cooing, asking if she was lost. His grin scared her, and she shook her head no before backing away from the bad smile.

She began to run, yelling 'fire' as she had been taught. He must have been toying with her, because he let her run down the street always three paces behind. No one came for her, not even the nosey, for fear and tired eight year old lungs didn't carry far enough to attract attention. Desperate to be rid of the man, she fled down an alley, only to feel her chest compound at the sight of a brick wall between her and freedom. She threw herself between a dumpster and brick wall and shook, trying to stifle her panting gasps for breath.

She could hear the man laughing in low, fluid drums of breath. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she sunk to her knees, her once pink nightgown a dark mess of muddy water and sweat. She heard the scrape of something heavy against something hard overpower the sound of Bad Smile's laugh. The laughter stopped, and suddenly he was yelling and cursing. She heard crashes and then a groan. Confusion overpowered her fear and she peaked from behind the dumpster to see what had happened. Bad Smile was hovering over a dark mass on the ground; the groans came from him as Bad Smile laughed again. "Two for one special, huh?" he said. He bent down, reaching for the mass and without thinking her hand wrapped around one of the beer bottles that littered the ground.

That thoughtless pattern continued as her arm rose and she scrambled forward, some stale alcohol dripping down. He heard her approach, and looked up, moving enough to spare his head from the glass. The force on his shoulder was enough to make him stagger in his crouched position though, and in the few moments it took him to catch himself the small person on the ground jumped and hit a spot on his neck, causing him to fall over. It was easy to tell he was now asleep, and she stared in amazement before poking his ribs with her shoe and saying, "That's what you get for being mean!"

"Yeah!" the voice of a boy said. Faith had smiled and looked towards the little boy, only to gasp. He wasn't a small boy, he was a big turtle!

At her stare the turtle boy shuffled his feet on the concrete. She stare at him, from the bandana whose color she couldn't make out in the darkened alley on his head to the shell she could see on his back to his three fingers to his three toes. He was a tiny bit taller than her, and refused to look at her.

Remembering her manners she said, "Thank you for saving me."

He looked at her suddenly, "Uh… no problem," and his feet shuffled again, "what were you doing here? It's not safe at night."

"Why's it safer than daytime? Bad stuff happens then too!"

"Yah, but, so!" he protested. Faith pouted.

"I just wanted to play in the rain."

"Oh, ok. I'll take you home."

Faith told him her address, which her mother had pounded into her skull in case she ever got separated from her.

"Bishop Street? By the pizza place?"

"Yup!"

He smiled and motioned for her to follow him down into a man hole, which she saw had been uncovered. She protested that it was too dirty down there, and he reminded her she was already dirty. After checking herself to make sure he was right she begrudgingly followed him down the man hole. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Faith breathing through her mouth to stop the horrendous smell from assaulting her. There was just enough light seeping in through the openings to the street for her to follow the turtle and she did so closely, afraid of any alligators or monsters that might be living down there too. She quickly grew bored of the silence and started asking questions.

"Do you live here?"

"Yah."

"What's it like? Is it fun?"

"Yah."

"Do you have a mommy and daddy too?"

"A father."

"Do you have to take baths here?"

"Sometimes."

"How old are you?"

"Nine."

"Can you do a cartwheel? I can do a really good cartwheel," she said, and making sure he watched she did one, slipping in what she only hoped was water and crashing on her butt.

"Ow!"

"I'm better," he said, helping her up.

"Nu uh," Faith said. The turtle turned and did not only one but two cartwheels down the path they were walking. A smiled took over her face, "That was so cool!" she praised him. "Do it again!"

He did so, and as they continued to walk he showed her other things he could do as well, explained that his father was teaching him ninjutsu. Once he had told her that he froze, and looked at her worriedly. "You can't tell anyone!" he said

"I promise," Faith said. He smiled at her and point upwards. "The pizza place is right down the street, you can see it from here."

"Ok." Faith watched him climb the ladder and push the manhole aside for her. He jumped down easily and she gave him a hug. He stood there stiffly until she let go, and then pat her on the head. She started to climb. At the top she could see her apartment building across the street. She poked her head out and saw that the street was still empty. She climbed out and the turtle climbed up after her, grabbing the man hole cover.

"Mr. Turtle, are we friends?" She asked as he was already jumping down. The man hole slammed shut after him but she caught his wide eyes as he disappeared. The sewer was silent as she leaned down against the cover and tried to look through one of the four holes.

"You're my friend Mr. Turtle!" she said, "I'll come back and play with you, so stay in the sewers, okay!"

She hoped he had heard her as she climbed back up the fire escape. Her mother found her in the bathroom taking a bath and had gone ballistic at the sight of her in a flooded bath with bubbles overflowing and her ruined night gown on the floor.

Faith shuddered remembering how her mother had screamed for an hour before fainting. She wished she hadn't told her she'd been saved from Bad Smile by a big turtle. Her mother had taken her to a shrink, who diagnosed her as just being overly imaginative, but her mother hadn't believed him. To this day her mother still insisted all the psychologists they had seen didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Faith had learned to keep quiet about the truth. Only her brother believed her. Not only that, but he kept his promise to bring her back so she could find Mr. Turtle again, since her mother had moved them to Tennessee long before she ever got the chance to sneak out again.

Her desk was neatly arranged, Shell's temper tantrum was over, and Faith's pours had finally stopped releasing sweat. Which meant she was heading downstairs again into the burning heat of day to continue unloading the truck.


	3. Chapter 3

"Please tell me you've unpacked more than just Shell's house," Code said, standing in her door frame as Faith hunched over the large plastic lagoon Shell would soon occupy. She pointed to her desk which she had set up only due to necessity before they had begun unloading.

"How are you this lazy?" Code asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame.

"Hey!" Faith said, "I can live outta boxes for a while, Shell can't stay in a glorified chamber pot!"

She placed a plastic tree onto the island on the hill of the lagoon, ignoring her brother pointedly. Code groaned in exasperation and a corner of her pursed lips turned into a smirk, "Drama queen," she teased.

She could just imagine his face and her grin grew; she held in a laugh.

"Look, unpack your clothes and put um away and I _might_ order an extra large half supreme, half veggie from our old pizza place," Code said, and Faith's face lit up as she twisted on her bum to face him.

"Promise?" she said. He nodded and disappeared with a smile. Abandoning the care she once was taking with it Faith threw together Shell's new lagoon and filled it with the tempered water it needed. Plopping him on the hill next to the plastic trees she hurried to dump the pot he once stayed in into the sink before hurrying to unpack her collection of clothes from there boxes and shoved them into the drawers.

"Done!" she yelled as she slammed the last drawer shut. She skipped over to Shell and kissed the top of his head gently. "We'll explore tomorrow, k?" She promised. She moved his lagoon to her night stand, excited for her favorite treat that her health conscious brother saved for bribing her, as he did tonight.

"Did you fold them?" Code asked from somewhere in his new room.

"... Maybe."

"I'm ordering now, it they're not folded by the time it gets here I'll eat your half!"

"You don't eat meat!"

"So?"

"Jerk!"

Faith begrudgingly set to the task of folding her clothes, knowing her anal brother would actually check to see if she had followed through. His dislike of ironing was the cause, and since he took care of the more womanly chores she should be doing the least she could do was help him out in this.

Hard knocks echoed through the apartment and Faith was ready. She flew to the door as Code cursed about misplacing his wallet in the mess. She ended up inviting the boy in as Code searched his room. She learned his name was Keno and that he was also sixteen. She thought this was amazing since most of her pizza men in Tennessee had been middle age. He told her he was working to support his mom and his martial arts classes. This delighted her and she was trying to find out more when Code finally found his wallet and handed him the money.

Keno promised to come by again as he left and Code grinned. "You work fast," he said.

"No you just stink at 'finding Waldo,'" she joked about his wallet. "Besides I saw you checking out his ass."

"No," Code said, "I like um aged and seasoned, if you catch my drift."

He winked at her as she pretended to be horrified, "The images!" she shrieked. "You're evil!"

She comforted herself with the biggest slice of her side of pizza as Code laughed at her.

Among the boxes strewn and stacked in her room Faith slept deeply. She woke to the sun streaming through her window and groaned. Her lack of directional abilities had gotten her a room with an east facing window. Wiping the 'sand' from her eyes she stumbled up from her tangled sheets and stubbed her toe on one of the many boxes littered around. Cursing, she rubbed her toe before hurrying to the bathroom.

Relieved, she slowly ambled to the kitchen in search of sustenance, and by sustenance she meant cold pizza. Grabbing a slice from the box she slammed the door of the fridge shut and finally noticed the note Code had left her.

_Tiger, _

_First day of classes. Unpack at least FIVE boxes before I get back. Don't do anything stupid if you go out. Eat the rest of the pizza. Love you_

_Rat_

Grinning at their childhood nicknames based on their Chinese zodiac they'd learned from a Chinese food take out menu, Faith rolled her eyes. "Thanks bro, I really need to eat half a pie by myself, how fat do you want me?" She walked into the living room and was disgusted to find it clean. Deciding her brother must be a robot, she plopped on the couch and grabbed the remote. Turning it on she left it on the news her brother would have been watching as she ate.

"_At this time the signs are the only thing connecting these vandalism's." A portly officer was speaking from a podium. _

"_Chief, a few years ago the Foot were discovered all bearing that sign. Doesn't that mean the chances that the Foot are back a strong possibility?" A red head had pushed her way forward in the crowd of reporters. _

"_No Ms. O'Neil it does not. For all we know these crimes are just punks trying to be smart. Nothing further." The chief began to walk offstage as the reporters erupted around them. The camera zoomed in on the O'Neil lady who said, "More on the possible link between the recent crimes and the Foot as this story develops."_

Faith focused on her pizza, unable to see what was so terrifying about some punks named after the worst smelling part of the body. Well, at least it had been on the guys from the baseball team. She rubbed her hands on her sleep shorts and yawned. "Eat a doughnut, Ms. O'Neil," she told the television before heading to her room. According to her watch it was ten-thirty. If she hurried and unpacked, she figured she could be showered and dressed before noon. But first she opened the pellet jar and gave Shell his breakfast.

Two boxes of books, two boxes of bathroom items, and a box of her video games and vhs' and she was scrambling for the shower. It was already one and she was already annoyed she wasn't out there searching. She slathered on soap as fast as she could, rinsing off in the same manner. Stepping out into the steam she pulled her dripping hair back and braided it. Tying it off with a red elastic band she headed for her room with an orange towel wrapped tightly around her in case Code came home for lunch.

A pair of blue jeans and a purple wife beater was her throw-on outfit of choice, and she did so quickly. She pulled on a half jacket, slung her backpack of supplies on her back and grabbed her skates and baseball bat. She hurried towards the door only to be stopped by angry splashes. In her rush she had forgotten all about Shell. She turned apologetically and picked him up from his hill, giving his actual shell a kiss and placing him on her shoulder. She realized he was still upset with her though as he slid himself into her hood and nestled there to pout.

"Oh come on Shell, you know I love you," she said. She felt him move but he quickly stilled again. "Oh fine pout all you want," she said. She locked the door to the apartment and sped down the stairs. At the door she took a deep breath. "Ok, Mr. Turtle, time to make good on my promise," she said, and headed out into the street.


	4. Chapter 4

Walking down the once intimately familiar roads brought a wave of nostalgia over Faith. Sidewalks she had roller blade on, street where she would play, and the place she met Code for the first time. She stared at the rotting stump, and remembered Code's ten-year-old face contorted as he sat on it, trying not to cry. She had stared at him a long time before running up and shoving him off the stump screaming 'tag.' She remembered hiding behind her mother's legs as she was made to apologize for pushing him.

She sat on the stump; it had once been Code's favorite climbing tree. The day she'd shoved him had been the day he had discovered it had been cut down. She smiled, finding him had been the best thing to happen to her. She would be helpless without her brother, and she knew it.

She looked up at her old apartment complex. She pushed herself off the stump and walked across the street and up the rusted stairs to the door of her old home. The building was falling to ruin. Paint peeled, wood chipped, and the once white walls now had a distinct yellow tinge. Faith shuddered to think what had caused the color change, and stared at the door. The numbers had long since fallen off, but there was a dingy outline of '6129' etched in the dust. The nostalgia was tainted with sadness to know the happy time it once held for her was now over.

She didn't consciously realize she had walked away until a harsh metal klunking woke her from her memories. She stepped back off the manhole and turned to look back at her old window. Then she gasped in surprise. This was it! Without thinking her feet had led her back to the very manhole she had crawled out of after being saved by Mr. Turtle.

Shell had clawed his way onto her shoulder and Faith picked him up and held him and she dropped to her knees, laying her bat beside her. Her skates were starting to dig painfully into her shoulder where she hung them tied together and those too she discarded on the ground. She peered into the closest of the four small holes on the metal lib and saw: nothing.

Faith sat back on the balls of her feet and sighed with disappointment. 'What did you expect?' she thought. 'For him to be looking back up at you?' She felt a cold in her chest that meant she was blushing and lowered her head in shame, she no longer knew what she expected, after so many years. Shell was squirming in her hands and she let him crawl on her knees as she contemplated what to do next.

She checked her watch, three o'clock. Code would be home soon and expect her to clean more. Having a neat freak brother was such a pain, but she decided to go and welcome him home anyways. 'Why not?' she thought at the decision, but continued to linger there, hovering over the burning metal. She knew she had to go down there, and cringed at the remembered smell. It was the only choice though, and she knew it had to be done. Later tonight she could, when Code went in for his evening classes.

She could hear a skateboard coming, and picking up Shell from her knee stood to avoid being hit in the road. There was no one around her, but she could still hear the distinct sound of a skateboard's wheels grinding on concrete. It processed in her mind in a flash and she dropped back to the ground and once more put her eye to the tiny hole in the lid. It was coming closer; it was so loud. She leaned forward and put her head down to steady herself, the metal lid falling on the uneven opening and making a loud grating klang.

She could have sworn she head a gasp, and the sound of someone losing control of a board was apparent. She blinked and gasped, for there was now half a skateboard in her view.

"H-hello?" she said. Her nerves were on fire and her body trembled at the discovery. "Hello? Mr. Turtle?" She could hear shuffling sounds, but only the skateboard was in her view. "Please Mr. Turtle, I-"

"Hey!" a voice full of gravel yelled, "What'er you doin, eh?" Faith jerked her head away from the cover to see a wizened old man with cigarette in hand glaring at her from a rickety porch for the neighboring apartment complex. She'd been so preoccupied she hadn't even heard the glass door open.

"I-I…" she tried to think quickly, "I found a baby turtle stuck in the man hole!"

She held up Shell for him to see as proof. The bitter look on his face twitch into something that could almost resemble a smile. "Airight now you saved it, so scat!" he said. Faith nodded and leaned down to tug off her shoes off, replacing them with her skates. As she did you carefully tried to inconspicuously peer through the manhole.

The skateboard was gone.

Code was unlocking the door as Faith finally made it to the top of the stairs sweaty and out of breath. He gave a hard look at her damp clothes and wrinkled his nose, "A good day I take it?"

"You'll never guess what happened!"


	5. Chapter 5

Faith ran inside and dropped Shell into his Lagoon. He splashed in the water for a moment before sinking to the bottom and settling on the colorful rocks contently. Her bat dropped heavily onto the floor as her skates slid off her shoulder, she threw them on the bed and rushed to the kitchen, where Code had started peeling garlic for what she assumed would be pasta. Jumping around the kitchen she spoke with her hands as Code skillfully danced around her to prepare their meal.

He was so used to her enthusiastic storytelling when it came to her 'Mr. Turtle' he had long ago learned to only half listen to her wild claims. Faith didn't notice he was only half listening as she told him about her adventure through their old neighborhood and about the mysterious disappearing skateboard.

Since Code was only half listening it took him a moment to register what his little sister had said. His eyes widened and he stopped chopping the tomatoes for the sauce. "Say that again?"

"Isn't it amazing? The skateboard really disappeared! I think Mr. Turtle actually waited for me!" she gushed. Code was still as his mind raced. Someone had actually been skateboarding in the sewer? What kind of disgusting person would purposely be down there?

"That's… great Tiger," he said. He felt a searing cold in his chest as he stared at her innocent face. She was so set on chasing her childhood illusion that she had thrown all the common sense he had tried to teach her over the years out the window like a torn up love letter. "You kinda stink though, you should probably take a shower before dinner."

"You jerk," Faith said, "I'm too excited, I can't believe he listened to me…"

The cold in Code's chest mingled with pain as he saw the longing on Faith's face. He knew how horrible it had been for her. To believe in something so thoroughly but have no one believe her. He knew it was only something her mind had imagined after that night she had gone outside alone. He had seen how much it hurt her, and had gone along with it, saying he believed her and keeping her from a depression that had been creeping into her heart since she realized adults and friends don't approve of children saying things they don't understand.

He knew only his belief in her had kept her from a bad existence, but now that she was ready to jump into a disease infested sewer to chase a dream he knew he was in a dangerous position. To keep up the lie or keep her from danger. He teetered on the line.

He put the knife down on the carving board and put his hands on her shoulders. "I want to go with you when you finally meet him, ok?" he tried to seem enthusiastic. Tried to make her believe he really believed. Her eyes shined and she smiled, nodding. He decided it was safe to proceed.

"You know, even in New York people would notice two people jumping down a man hole, right?"

"That's why I wasn't going to go down a man hole. I was gonna take the underground access they closed down two blocks from the old apartment," she said. She was so confident and assured he wanted to shake her. He took his hands off her quickly and went to the sink to clean them again. She really was dirty.

"I forgot you've thought about this for so long," he tried to seem lighthearted. "In that case we can go down together tomorrow after classes, ok?" he said. He dried his hand on the hanging dishrag. He felt the atmosphere shift and looked at her stricken face.

"Tomorrow… Ok then," she said. She started for the doorway, "I'm gonna shower now then."

Code watched her disappear and leaned heavily against the counter sighing deeply. 'Damn it all,' he thought. He took the knife back in his hand and slowly started dicing the tomatoes again. Dangerous, dangerous territory they were heading into. The disturbing feeling she had given off when he mentioned waiting. She had meant to do something after dinner, hadn't she? While he was in class and much to far away to protect her.

He would have to trust her tonight; he couldn't skip his first day. He was scared though. His impulsive little sister, who puberty was just starting to take effect on. He was scared. For as strong as she thought she was, a man could easily overpower her and then… He gripped the knife tighter. If anything happened to her… He would eliminate them. He would burn them from the inside out and leave not a trace of evidence. His I.Q. assured this, but he couldn't undo damage to her once it was done. He heard the water running in their shared bathroom, and after a moment her cracking voice singing high notes she would never be able to make sound pretty.

Faith was his only family, his world. If something happened to her, it would crumble beneath his feet and drop him into the darkness again.


End file.
